Method of assembling rairoad cars



March 16, 1954 .1. w. SHEFFER ET AL 2,671,957

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 51, 1948 14 Sheets-Sheet l dam 6AM March 16, 1954 J. W. SHEFFER ET AL METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 51, I943 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 1954 J. w. SHEFFER ET AL 7 7 METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 51, 1948 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 ATTORN EY 14 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORN EY March 16, 1954 w. sHEFFER ETAL METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS- Filed July 31, 1948 I 7 7 6% x M 5 5. 5 I 4:: 5 11.11:: a m, 3 7 W m 5 6 7 JW 0,5,. w v 3 w 1 u h 3 M 0 5 5 H w 5 March 1954 J. w. SHEFFER ET AL 2,671,957

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 51, 1948 14 Sheets-Sheet s ATTORNEY March 16, 1954 J w SHEFFER E AL 2,671,957

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 31, 1948 14 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTOR N EY March 16, 1954 J. w. SHEFFER ET AL 2,671,957

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 51, 1948 14 Sheets-Sheet 7 "HININIW' lllllllllli' March 1954, J. w. SHEFFER ET'AL METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS 14 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed July 51, 1948 ATTORNEY March 16, 1954 J. w. SHEFFER T AL 7 METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 51, 1948 14 Sheets-Sheet 9 ATTOR N EY M r 1954 J- w. SHEFFER ET AL 2,671,957

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 31, 1948 14 Sheets-Sheet 10 w Em ATTOR N EY March 16, 1954 J. w. SHEFFER ET AL ,67 7

METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July 31, 1948 14 Sheets-Sheet ll J. W. SHEFFER ET AL METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS March 16, 1954 14 Sheets-Sheet 12 Filed July 51, 1948 h m I Marh 1954 .1. w. SHEFFER ET AL METHOD OF ASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS l4 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed July 31, 1948 gwue/r'vtoms 34 Waikm,

ATTO R N EY I I I .I

I r I L March J. w. SHEFFER ET AL 2,571,957

METHOD OFASSEMBLING RAILROAD CARS Filed July {51, 1948 14 Sheets-sheet 14 l ER T b '{3 mq) Q.

N I \D \m 5 Ad I "3 l N a I I Q Q l '1' a Q t ATTO R N EY cross ridges are tack welded to the center sill and to the upper edges and end walls of the hopper chutes. Such car structure is next moved to station S3 where the bottom slope flooring is applied. The upper face of bolster beams 2 extend at an angle and receive splice plates l5 overlying the junction between the two sections of the floor sheets 1. The floor sheet sections and the underlying splice plate are welded together prior to their application to the car structure and ar applied to the car with the splice plate on the upper face H! of the beams 2 to which they are tack welded. The end walls are also tack welded to the upper edge of the top slope floor sheet section I. At this station floor sheet angle braces [6 are Welded at their upper ends to the floor sheets and at their lower ends to the center sill structure.

The car structure is next moved on to station S4 where the preformed end wall units 8 are tack welded in position. These end wall units include vertical post 9 extending beneath the end wall and joined at their lower ends by sill 9a. The lower ends of end posts 9 are tack welded to sub-side sills 3a. The assembly is next moved on to station S5 where preformed side wall units l2 are applied and tack welded at the corners to the bolsters, hopper chutes, and the end wall units.

These side wall units have a lower rail l7, top cord angle I8 and stakes 19. A series of panels are first welded together, then the top cord angles and side rails are welded on the panel unit and after that the stakes I9 are welded in place. These side wall units are in this manner permanently assembled prior to their application to the sides of the car structure. At this station, corner angle brackets l3 are welded to the adjacent ends of the side and end wall units.

This car structure is now ready to be moved along the assembly line to station S5 where top spacer devices 2| are applied. These devices have clamp portions engaging the upper cord angles of the side wall assemblies and an adjustable rod means extending between the clamps. Spacer devices 21 are supplied to the top of the car side walls and serve to accurately maintain the transverse dimension at the intermediate portion of the top of the car during further travel of the car on the assembly line.

Apparatus shown in Figures 18 to 21 is located at station S6 and is utilized for the purpose of forcing the side units in their final squared-up position for further tack welding operations. Such apparatus includes a stationary framework consisting of two rows of longitudinally spaced upright columns 22, each line of columns being connected at their tops by girders 23 and opposite lines of columns being connected by top cross girders 2 1. This framework carries fixture means in the form of longitudinal beams 25 on which rollers 28 and guides 26' are mounted for engaging columns 22. These fixture beams 25 extend one along the inside of each line of vertical columns 22 and are movable vertically into various positions that are necessary for clamping the side wall structure of the car during the tack welding at this station. The beams are raised and lowered by an electric hoist 21 having a drum 28 on which cables 29 are wound and unwound. These cables extend over pulleys 30 and 3| and are attached to the end portions of beams 25. Counterweights 31 are carried by cables 32 extending over drums 33 mounted on the center upright girders 22 with the cables being attached at their other end to the beams. During vertical adjustment of the fixture beams, rollers 26 and guides 26 will move along the columns 22 maintaining the beams in the same vertical plane regardless of their adjusted position.

Fixture beams 25 are parallel and are spaced further apart than the width of the car. The fixture beams carry a plurality of jack clamping devices 35 connected to pistons 35 in cylinders 35 that are fixed on carriers 31. These carriers are supported by rollers 28 lying to the outside of the upper beam flange 33 and guide and lock means 39 engaging the outside face of the lower flange 40 of the fixture beam. The roller and the guide means on the clamp or jack carrier 3'l permit movement of the jacks horizontally along the beam into desired position without changing the distance between the jack and the inner face of the fixture beam and guide means 39 are clamped on the beam by wrenches 39. Cylinders 35 have air lines ll and 42 connected with opposite ends thereof and such lines connect respectively with manifolds 43 and 44 carried on the underside of the beam. These manifolds are connected with a suitable source of air pressure and a conventional valve is employed to control air flow to the cylinders so that the jacks 34 will move inwardly similarly to engage the side wall units of the car or to be released therefrom.

The car with the side wall units tack welded at the corners is pushed into the frame work at station S5 where the beams are moved to several vertical positions for further tack welding the side wall units to other component parts of the structure. For example, at this station the sides are tack welded to the ends of the cross ridges, to the body bolsters and to the hopper chutes. This tack welding of the side units, while held in longitudinal alignment by pneumatic jacks, will square up the sides with the ends in desired relationship. At this point all of the component parts of the car are tacked together in their desired relationship and the car is now ready for final welding.

Final continuous arc weldrnent of the tacked component parts of the car takes place at sta-- tions S1, S8 and S9 in the assembly line and at each of such stations there is a rotatable jig structure B in which the car is firmly held and shifted so that all welding can be made by the operators in the direction of gravity.

These jig structures are similar and a description of one will suffice for all. The base or floor 50 at each of these stations is formed with a pit 5! into which the jig structure extends and is rotatably mounted. Jig B has a skeleton framework comprising an outwardly flanged ring 52 at each endwith an interior frame 53' and connecting flange sections 53. This frame-work further includes pairs of longitudinally extending upper girders composed of I beams 5d and 55 and pairs of longitudinally extending lower girders composed of I beams 56 and 51. Upper cross girders 58 extend between and are secured to beams 55, lower flooring cross girders 58 extend between and are secured to beams 5i and lower longitudinal flooring girders 62 are secured to girders 59. The longitudinally extending sets of beams 5 55 and 56, 5'5 extend at an angle of and are secured together and such beams are secured at their ends to the rib sections 53 of the rings. Gussets t3 connect the two beams in the upper and lower girders. To the inside of each ring structure is fixed a drum ring Bil for receiving cables 6| forming a part of the mechanism for rotating the jig. Sections of track'rails 20 are supported on lower cross and longitudinal beams 59 and 62.

The jig framework so far described provides a mounting for a fixture in which the car is to be clamped in position for final welding. This fixture is composed of skeleton framework including vertical columns 95, upper cross girders 69 and vertical clamp carrying beams 61. Suitable bearing cap structures 68 are fixed to the lower ends of the columns 65 and bear against the lower beams 56 to which they are detachably secured by bolt and nut means 69. These columns 95 are secured at their upper ends to the cross girders 96 that. slidably engage the lower flanges of the longitudinal beams 55 and have stub columns 45 attached thereto. Stub column caps 49 are detachably secured to beams 55. Thus, the fixture can be adjusted longitudinally of the jig framework to suit different car lengths encountered in manufacture. Beams 91 have upper and lower'bearing cap means 79, the upper ones of which slidably engage bearing surfaces on the cross girders 99 and the lower ones of which engage shoes 58 bearing on beams 51 and attached to columns 55.-

Means for clamping the car squarely in the jig structure is carried by the transversely adjustable beams 97. There are preferably four of these clamp beams 61, located two on opposite sides of the car and adjacent the ends thereof with the beams at opposite car sides in alignment. The clamps on each beam are similar and include a lower clamp member H and an upper pivoted C clamp I2 on which is pivotally mounted shoe I3 and shoe M. The lower and upper clamps H and I2 are adjustable vertically and suitably secured to the beams.

The mounting for the jig structure is located in pit 5I and includes cradle devices each having a centrally pivoted carrier 15 with a roller 19 at each end thereof. The carriers are mounted on base members I? fixed in the bottom of the pit 5I. The rollers engage in the flange rings 52 and are self-positioning therewith because of their pivotal mounting.

Associated with the adjustable car carrying fixture is mechanism for shifting the clamp car.- rying beams toward and away from the car sides. Each beam 61 has two similar actuator or jacking devices for transverse shifting thereof, see Figure 17, consisting of a rod '19 extending through collar E9 on an anchor member 89 fixed to the beam. Abutments M are pinned to the rod at. each end of the collar. Rod 78 has a worm gear portion 32 extending through casing 83 fixed on beam 95. Hollow worm gear 8 is rotatably mounted. in casing 93 and drivingly engages the worm gear portion of the rod and is driven by gear 85 fixed on driven shaft 85. Gear 87 at the upper end of the driven shaft 39 is actuate by gear 99 on drive shaft 99, the drive shaft extending across and being mounted on cross girder 68. Each drive shaft has thereon a sprocket 99 driven by a chain belt 9| driven by drive sprocket 92 fixed on the drive shaft of an air motor 93. Thus, at each end of the jig there is an air driven mechanism for operating the jacking device and each of the air motors are connected with a suitable source of air supply. The air motors have a conventional pressure responsive air shutoff valve to regulate the jacking pressure exerted againstbeams 61.

Control of the air supply for the air motors. 9:3

is shown in Figure 5. Asuitable source of air 94 under pressure is connected by line 95 with a four-way valve 96 through inlet port 91. The valve has an exhaust port 98 and also two lines 99 and I00 leading therefrom. The line 99 is connected to drive the air motors in one direction and the line I is connected to drive the motors in the opposite direction. There is a neutral position of the valve in which air supply to the motors is cut off. When the valve is turned to connect either line 99 or 500 with the air motors, then the other line will exhaust through valve port 99.

Valve 96 is turned by means of a manually operated handle IliI that is also automatically controlled by mechanism that limits retraction of the beams 9'7 and also controls the mechanism shaft I mounted on bearing I06. Gear I0! is also fixed on shaft I95 and meshes with a rack 99 fixed to a control rod structure I99 slidably mounted in guides H9 fixed on a column 65. Control actuator roller I I I is carried by rod structure 399 in a relation to move handle IM to valve shut-off position when the beams 61 have been moved away from clamping position with the car at a point limiting retraction movement of the beams 97 so that they will not crush gear housings 83. The gearing between rack I02 and the rod structure I99 steps up the movement of rack H28 relative to the rack rod I92 and the roller I II is located on rod I99 in a proper position to move the handle I9I downwardly to shut off the valve 95 as the beams 5'1 approach gear housings 33. In the operation of the clamping mechanism, handle till when in horizontal position shuts off air flow through the valve. In order to operate the jacking mechanism to shift the beams 97 to clamp the car, handle IIlI is moved downwardly from horizontal position thereby opening line 99 to one side of the air motor and connecting line I99 leading to the other side of the air motors with the valve exhaust outlet 99. As the beams 61 move toward the car, clamps II and shoes I3 of clamps 12 will engage the side units of the car. Clamps 12 will be rocked, due to the engagement of shoes 2'3 with the sides of the car, to swing shoes '54 down in clamping engagement against the upper surface of the top channels of the car side units. To withdraw the clamps from engagement with the car the valve handle I9! is shifted to a position above horizontal as shown in Figure 12 whereupon the source of air will flow through line I99 to the air motors and line 99 from the air motors will be open to the valve exhaust outlet 98. The gear mechanism including drive shaft 99' and driven shaft 85 will thus be turned in the opposite direction and will reverse the jacking drive to move the beams 97 away from the car.

As the beams are thus being moved, clamp i2 will swing by gravity back to normal position and rack. I92 will operate to actuate the mechanism associated therewith to move rod structure I99 downwardly so that by the time beams 61 approach gear housings 83 roller ill will be moved downwardly sumciently to force valve control handle I9! into horizontal shut-off position. The

control rod. structure I09 is arranged to control switch H2 forming a part of the circuit for'controlling. actuator mechanism for rotation of the jig. The arrangement is such. that the jig can-- not be. rotated when the car isunclamped in-tlie jjgl Thismechani'cal drivewilzl apply equal move-r 7 ment of the clamp carrying beams insuring squaring up of the car and the pneumatic drive therefore will prevent undue pressure being applied to the sides of the car.

Cables 6| are actuated by a mechanism located in the pit 51 at the rotary jig stations. Electric motor I I3 operates drive shafts i It through gearing H4 and on the ends of the shafts are fixed drums H4 for actuating the cables. The cables are of sufficient length to rotate'the jig at least 180 from its normal unloaded position. The cables are wrapped around the drums H4 and fixed to the rings (ill by conventional means.

In order to insure positioning of the jig in normal position for loading and unloading a car, a locking device is provided for association with each end ring structure or" the jig. These devices are similar and each includes a plunger rod H5 for engaging in a recess in a bracket I Hi suitably fixed to a ring Bi l. The plungers are connected with pistons 126 in cylinders ill fixed on the flooring 5%). In Figure 23 there is shown a system for controlling these locking devices. Fourway valve i8 is connected with a source of compressed air i It by line lift and has an exhaust outlet [2 I. Lines 522 and E23 connect the valve with the cylinders at one end of the pistons H23 and lines I24 and I25 connect the valve with the cylinders at the other ends of the pistons E25. When lines I22 and IE3 are open to the source of compressed air, lines Mid and H25 will be open to the valve exhaust l2! and when lines 52% and E25 are open to the cylinders then lines !22 and E23 will be open to the valve exhaust iEi. Thus by turning the valve the locking device H5 can be moved into the recesses in brackets H5 or removed therefrom. In this manner the rotatable framework can be kept locked against rotation until rotation is desired.

A superstructure consisting of columns i'ili, longitudinal girders iii and transverse girders I12 extend over the rotary jigs at stations S1, S8 and S9. The tacked together car is moved along the rails from station S5 to station S1. As the locking plungers H5 engage brackets M6 on the jig it will be locked in normal position so that the car can be moved along the tracks into the jig. While the jig is still locked, the jacking mechanism is put into operation to move the clamp bearing beams El toward the sides of the car and the clamps H and i2 will engage the sides to hold them in proper squared up relation. The electric motor H3 is started after the car is clamped to operate the mechanism for driving the drums lid to thus cause the jig to be rotated to a position, as shown in Figure 6, where the car will be turned to place one side upper most. While the car is held in this position the operators apply a ground to the car and use their electrodes inside and outside of the car for continuously welding the tacked together component parts of the car that can be reached with the electrode pointed toward the flooring, that is, in the direction of gravity. Some of the operators work outside of the car while others work inside of the car. Upon the completion of the welding operations at this station the electric motor for driving the drums its is put into operation to rotate the driving mechanism in reverse direction to thereby cause the drum to rotate reversely to its normal position. When the drum is in such position the locking plungers H5 are again engaged with brackets H6. Following this return of the jig to normal position, the air motors 93 are started up in reverse causing the jacking mechanism to move the beams 61 away from the car sides so that the clamps H and I2 will be retracted.

The car is next moved from station S1 to station S8 and the jig is controlled in the same manner as at station S? but is rotateed to place the other side of the car in uppermost position as shown in Figure 7. At this station the operators again operate within and outside of the car to continuously arc weld the tacked together joints that can be reached with the electrodes pointed in the direction of gravity. Following this welding operation the jig is returned to normal position and the fixture is actuated to release the clamps. The car is then moved down the line to the third jig where the last final welding step takes place. At this station the jig is controlled in the same manner as the jigs were at stations 8? and S3 with the exception that the jig is rotated by the cables to place the bottom of the car in uppermost position as shown in Figure 8. While in this upside down position the operators again continuously final weld tacked together joints that can be reached from inside and outside of the car with their electrodes pointed in the direction of gravity. In the three positions in which the car is held in the rotary jigs all of the tacked together joints can be reached by the operators so that their work will all be of a down welding nature. Some of the operators use the stationary fraine riorl; over the jigs for gaining their positions and ladders H3 can be utilized by the operators to reach the top of the stationary framework from which point they can descend and do their welding operations on the uppermost portions of the car.

Obviously the lower portion of the car will have considerably more weight than the upper portion and pockets are formed between the upper beams 55 and 5d for the reception of counterweight slugs li i, such pockets being closed by caps E75, see Figures 4 and 11. This counterweighting will reduce the power effort required for rotation and will provide a safety factor in the operation of the jig.

The control system for reversible electric motor H3 is shown in Figure 22. The motor is of the three phase A. C. type and power lines P, P and P lead to a forward and reverse control switch 2&8 with which ines Elli, 2t? and M3 are connected. Extending between switch and the motor in the power line is a main control switch 2%. Forward switch 2%, reverse switch 206 and stop switch 2%? are manually actuated to control the operation of the motor. Vernier switches 2 138 and 2% are also included in the control system for causing small forward and reverse movements of the motor to rotate the jig from points approaching their positioning for the welding operation. The system also includes switch H2 previously referred to. Switches 2H! and 2i i are controlled by cams 2 ii! on a jig ring 522 for cutting out the motor to prevent overtravel of the jig in rotation to welding position. An emergency cut-out switch 2 3 for stopping the motor s also provided in the control system. Switch El i is actuated by the jig locking device M5 to cut out the motor circuit while the jig is locked. Light 255 is connected in the circuit to give a signal when the jig is unlocked and the clamps are engaged whereby the operator will know when it is safe to start the electric motor to rotate the jig.

The switches are interconnected by wiring so that the motor can be started in desired direction and stopped with safety.

Switch 204 must be closed to operate the motor. Switch 205 is manually operated when the motor is to be driven forward, switch 299 is manually operated when the motor is to be driven in reverse and switch 201 is operated to stop the motor. As rod structure I09 operates switch H2 to open the circuit when the clamps in the jig are released from the car, the motor can operate only when the clamps engage the car. As one of the locking plungers I I opens switch 2 I4 when engaged with the bracket 1 16, the motor cannot be operated until the jig is unlocked. The control switches 205 or 206 are manually operated to cause the motor to rotate the jig and when the jig approaches the position to which it is rotating switch 205 or 206 whichever is utilized is released. The switches 298 or 209 are then utilized to intermittently energize the motor to jog the jig to final desired position of rotation. This jogging drive is necessary because the heavy tonnage being rotated makes it difiicult to accurately stop the rotation at the desired point. Switches 2H) and 21! are actuated by cams 2l2 located to limit the rotation of the jig beyond desired positions. Switch H3 is for an emergency when rotation of the jig must be stopped. The structure described herein forms the subject matter of a divisional application Serial No. 134,928 filed December 24, 1949.

The invention may be modified in various respects as will occur to those skilled in the art and the exclusive use of all modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. The method of assembling a metal. railroad car body progressively on track rails running adjacent fixed stations and through three rotatable stations consisting of tackwelding parts of the body in sufiicient rigidity to maintain the parts in their proper relation, said parts being tackwelded in sequence at the fixed stations, rolling the car on its trucks to the first rotatable station, securing the car in the first rotatable station, transversely rotating the station so that one side of the car is uppermost whereby to present a plurality of upwardly facing seams for welding in the direction of gravity, continuously welding the upwardly facing seams of the car, rotating the station to place the car in the upright position, releasing the car from the station, rolling the car on its trucks to a second rotatable station, securing the car in the second rotatable station, transversely rotating the second rotatable station so that the other side of the car is uppermost, continuously welding the upwardly facing seams, rotating the second rotatable station to place the car in the upright position, releasing the car from the station, rolling the car on its trucks to the third rotatable station, securing the car in the third rotatable station, transversely rotating the station to place the car in the inverted position, and continuously welding the upwardly facing seams of the car, said car and truck being clamped in each rotatable station to maintain the car and truck structure in pre-determined relation with each other and in fixed relation with the station.

10 2. The method of assembling a metal railroad car progressively on track rails running adjacent fixed stations and through three rotatable stations comprising placing wheeled trucks on the rails, mounting a prefabricated underframe' on the trucks, tackwelding the bottom units to the underframe at fixed stations, tackwelding end walls to the car structure at another fixed station, tackwelding prefabricated side walls to the car structure at another station, applying temporary transverse spacers to the top of the car between the side walls to retain the proper transverse dimension of the car during the continuous welding operation, advancing the tackwelded car to the first rotatable station, clamping the tackwelded car to the rails at the first rotatable station, transversely rotating the station so that one side of the car is uppermost whereby to present a plurality of upwardly facing seams for welding in the direction of gravity, continuously welding the upwardly facing seams of the car, rotating the station to place the car in the upright position, unclamping the car from the rails, advancing the car to a second rotatable station, clamping the car to the rails at the second rotatable station, transversely rotating the station so that the other side of the car is uppermost, continuously welding the upwardly facing seams of the car, rotating the second station to place the car in the upright position, unclamping the car from the rails, advancing the car into the third rotatable station, clamping the car to the rails at the third rotatable station, rotating the third station to place the car in the inverted position, continuously welding the upwardly facing seams of the car, rotating the third station to place the car in the upright position, and unclamping the car from the rails.

JOHN W. SI-IEFFER. EDMUND A. WATSON. ARTHUR C. SCI-IANZ.

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